SUPPLIES OF FERTILISERS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23131, 21 September 1940, Page 9

SUPPLIES OF FERTILISERS

HEAVY REDUCTION IN IMPORTS INCREASED DOMESTIC OUTPUT The war has made one important difference to the farming picture in New Zealand, and. that is that artificial- fertilisers are now not nearly as easy to come by from overseas sources as they were. There is no shortage of fertilisers in Now Zealand at the moment, but every effort is being made by the Government to assure supplies. Among the most interesting developments in this direction is the testing of the ample deposits of serpentine rock for combining with imported fertilisers to make the imported material go farther. Present indications are that this will be very successful. The New Zealand works are being run to their capacity, and farmers have been asked frequently to assist by ordering their requirements in months other than the peak months of January, February, and March, and to make the best possible use of their supplies as they get them. The effect of the war is strikingly demonstrated in the figures for imports in the first half of this year. Phosphalic fertiliser, which included basic slag, guano and North African, amounted to 54,290 tons against 100,565' tons for the same period last year. Imports of sulphate of ammonia were about the same at round 2100 tons, but potash imports were reduced to 5938 from 11,394 tons. Commenting on the figures, the Journal of Agriculture says: “North African phosphates are now unobtainable, and it is not considered that any reliance can be placed on the continued importation of the other phospbatic fertilisers. Consequently, the whole strain of providing for the deficiency in imports is falling on superphos-phate-works in New Zealand, and it is also apparent that there is a considerable increase in the demand over that of recent years. Responding to an appeal, the superphosphate companies have increased the weekly make from 8000 tons in January to close on 12,0110 tons at present, with the production units being forced to their maximum capacity. If this can be maintained the total output for 1940 will approach 600,000 tons.” There is a limit to the rate to which the New Zealand works can be stepped up. Wear and tear on machinery are very heavy in the production of fertilisers, and to go beyond a certain point is to court danger at a time when machinery imports are not as easy to come by as they are in normal days.